Little River lead woes irk residents

Says DES is not doing enough

NORTH HAMPTON — The Hampton Rod & Gun Club is currently under investigation by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) for contaminating Little River with lead, but some North Hampton citizens have expressed concern that the department is moving too slowly with its investigation.

Comment

By Max Sullivan

seacoastonline.com

By Max Sullivan

Posted Jun. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By Max Sullivan
Posted Jun. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

NORTH HAMPTON — The Hampton Rod & Gun Club is currently under investigation by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) for contaminating Little River with lead, but some North Hampton citizens have expressed concern that the department is moving too slowly with its investigation.

On Monday, May 19, Mill Road residents Nancy Monaghan and Judy Day told the North Hampton Select Board that they were concerned the investigation may be taking too long, and that if the state doesn't quickly begin "stringent testing" to determine what kind of damage the gun club has done, it may have a negative effect on the community.

When Day recently contacted the lead DES investigator, Monaghan said, she was told that it would be "at least another year" before the investigation would be finished.

"At that point we'll be closing in on nearly three years since we brought these issues to the town's attention," Monaghan said.

The gun club has been temporarily shut down since December 2013 by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

"I am here to urge the Select Board to become involved immediately in at minimum oversight of actions related to our complaint," Day said.

Monaghan cited the selectmen's meeting held the previous week on May 12 as part of the reason for her concern. At that meeting, a letter from a gun range expert at Terracon, a "nationally known environmental consulting firm," was discussed, Monaghan said. The letter said DES was following "inadequate methods" and "requested stricter testing parameters."

"Why is the opinion of an environmental expert's opinion regarding one of the most toxic substances known to science — lead — on a site where the owners have admitted violations, 'over the edge?'" Monaghan said.

In response to Monaghan and Day at the May 19 meeting, Stanton replied that he feels that it's still best to let the DES go through their procedure without interference.

"I do know that the code enforcement officer is doing an investigation," Stanton said. "Interference would not be good. "There's is a sequence of events that takes place, and DES has their turn. ...; I think our best job is to watch and wait."

Selectman Larry Miller responded by saying that it was in fact the Select Board's responsibility to see that town of North Hampton is properly regulated for health reasons, just as was the case with the Coakley Landfill, which he called a "different situation, but never the less the same idea."

Selectman Jim Maggiore stressed on Wednesday, May 28, that he was personally concerned about the contamination issue with Little River and shared the concerns of Monaghan and Day, even if he said on May 19 that it would be out of place for the Select Board to do more than inform the DES.

"If we have an issue of contamination, I absolutely want to make sure that it's remediated and addressed," Maggiore said.

When asked about the issue, North Hampton Town Administrator Paul Apple said that one reason the DES may be taking as long as they have been could be the fact that they recently downsized.

"It's in the hands of the DES, and, you know, they move as fast as their resources allow them to move," Apple said. "There's been some staff reductions up there, and some funding cuts and resources are stretched pretty thin. Yes I would like to see it move faster, but this is unfortunately the way things go."